Shoestring Living: Good-deal disease

Monday

Nov 29, 2010 at 12:01 AMNov 29, 2010 at 11:17 AM

I’m not sure if I’ve become aware of Black Friday craziness or if it’s actually more insane than ever. This year, my friends and family told tales of heading out at 1, 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. Some of them didn’t even have specific items in mind; they just wanted to see what certain stores were offering. It makes me wonder if we’re all suffering from something I call good-deal disease.

Molly Logan Anderson

I’m not sure if I’ve become aware of Black Friday craziness or if it’s actually more insane than ever. This year, my friends and family told tales of heading out at 1, 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. Some of them didn’t even have specific items in mind; they just wanted to see what certain stores were offering. It makes me wonder if we’re all suffering from something I call good-deal disease.

I’m all for a bargain, but one has to wonder how many needless extra dollars were spent in the wee, sleep-deprived hours of the morning last Friday. How many extra gifts are purchased? And now that Black Friday is stretching into a black weekend, followed by Cyber Monday and so on, extra spending is a valid concern. A friend recently spoke of her annual Christmas budget and Black Friday deals, saying, “I always have to plan on spending at least 50 percent more than I’ve budgeted. Some things are too tough to pass up.” Fight hard, folks; good-deal disease is extremely contagious.

Plan ahead

Making your decisions prior to the holiday hustle and bustle is imperative. (Read: Do it now!) Deciding how much you can spend and what you’ll buy for whom is much less complicated without twinkling lights and holiday music in the background. You’re also less likely to buy into hot ticket items that pop up late season. I jot down ideas all year so planning comes easy in the fall.

Check your list twice - or more

One of the most effective ways that I find to stay within my budget is to refer to my list often. I like to keep things equal between my kids and our parents, so I track what I’ve purchased, the price and whom it’s for in my “everything” notebook. My notebook goes everywhere that I do, so I’m always up to date with holiday shopping information.

Don’t second-guess

Here’s where I fall down. I’m the queen of questions like, “Did I really get them enough?” or “Can I say ‘no’ to such a bargain?” I just keep telling myself that the answer is “yes,” even if I don’t believe it. For most of us, I think it’s very hard to grasp the concept of “enough,” but what a service we’d be doing if we could pass such wisdom onto younger generations. There’s no doubt that good deal disease passes easily to our youth. Let the buck stop with you.

Molly Logan Anderson is a freelance writer who lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Mike, three kids and two labs. Join Molly on her family’s journey of living a frugal life and making financial freedom their reality.

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